5 at-home facial techniques worth mastering for glowing skin

Like it or not, the summer is coming to an end - and with it, our holiday glows. And while it's all well and good for any It girl who can bask in gold-leaf and glitter masks or elaborate ten-step skincare routines designed to create a mega-watt skin sheen (2018 is all about getting your glow on), it can be harder for those of us without the time, patience or money to chase a pro glow 24/7.

Luckily, there's a simple solution allowing all of us to enjoy an extended summer glow. Bring your facial in-house and steal one of these massage techniques that promise to reduce sinus pressure, puffiness and fluid retention, while promoting lymphatic drainage and allowing your skincare to penetrate deeper. After all, who else knows your skin better than you?

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Facial massage is the secret every skin pro relies on - and here's why. "Over 40 muscles make up the scaffolding of the face. And just like the muscles in the body, the more you move them, the more lifted, tightened and tone they become," says Inge Theron, founder of FaceGym. "Any time you can fit facial exercises into your day is great. I tend to do it morning or evening as part of my skincare routine, that way I get the added benefits of really working products into my skin, too."

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Committed glow-getters should try out the 'Whip, Knuckle and Contour' facial exercise moves developed by . This super speedy two-minute routine developed is easy to build into your daily skincare routine. "Massaging or brushing product into the skin, rather than just slapping it on, will maximise the benefits for your skin tone and texture," says Theron.

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The Daily Lift & Sculpt

For increased blood circulation and stimulation

If you're looking for a tool to help make your facial massage speedy and easy (but still effective) let us introduce you to an ancient Chinese skincare secret: The Gua Sha.

Garnering loads of attention from the 'gram because #crystalpower, the smooth palm-sized tools (usually made from jade or rose quartz) are designed in a specific shape to hug the contours of the face.

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Stroking it in different directions and areas with the aid of a serum or oil, will help to boost blood circulation and stimulate the skin. The tool maintains a cool temperature, which will help to depuff and awaken a tired complexion. It's a bit more hardcore than a roller, and you may notice slightly more tugging of the skin.

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Aja Deng explains the difference quite well:

The Fashion Favourite

For dull and dry skin

The massage suggested by is designed to make the most of its beautiful new facial oil, . Composed almost entirely of naturally-derived ingredients (jasmine, camellia and jojoba amoung others) the moisturising, nourishing and fortifying product protects the skin barrier – think suppleness, firming and brightening. It’s basically luxury in a bottle, so why not maximise the benefits with a massage that promotes absorption?

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Abigail James says you should “massage a face oil into the face, neck and décolleté for a good eight minutes”, so really take your time and enjoy the process. The longer you massage, the more warmth the oil retains (from your hands and face) which will help absorption and circulation.

The Suqqu

For swollen and stiff skin

The GANKIN massage (which is patented, by the way – how cool is that?) is designed to explore and relieve the relationship between stiff facial muscles and sagging skin. Stiffness in the face often indicates that the lymph flow is not working efficiently, preventing all the toxins from being drained and causing the skin to swell or sag. By applying pressure to the face one is able to massage away tension, while promoting blood circulation and lymphatic flow.

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"I invariably have someone in my chair at 5am. My mantra #skinprepiseverything is true. I use the GANKIN Massage Technique as preparation – it 'wakes up' the face, reduces puffiness, and helps to contour and define the cheekbones and the jawline. I've also realised that we hold a lot of tension in our facial muscles – this method relaxes the face and also provides a calming 10 minutes before hair and makeup for the day. The better the skin, the better the makeup will be.”

The result is a firm facial contour, particularly in the lower half of the face. All you need is your fingers, a headband and the . It is definitely recommended to follow this with a full facial (as it is with any other facial massage), so you can take full advantage of the increased circulation.

The Tech

For aged and tired skin

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One of the major advantages of the modern world? Technical facials. Fingers are replaced by metal, massaging for micro currents. The result is a deeper stimulation that lifts, firms and enhances production of natural proteins, like collagen and elastic (a.k.a. the warriors of youthful skin).

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The Foreo is the superstar of cleansing, with its silicon brush delivering a deep, non-abrasive clean that fingers just couldn’t achieve.

Follow this with the roller, which will make sure your serums are applied evenly and move along any fluid retention the Foreo loosened with its transdermal sonic pulses.

Follow with the NuFace, whose micro currents will activate the many product ingredients on a greater level, as well as lift sagging skin (now fluid-free!) and the result is a nourished, youthful face. Who needs a facialist after this?

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Tip: Exfoliate before your facial massage so the skin is more fully able to absorb the product

Tip: Perform your facial massage in the evening so your product can absorb overnight without any additional coverage (like makeup or SPF).